Bowling alley



y 1932. o. w. BLANCHARD ET AL 1,359,284

BOWLING ALLEY Filed Jan. 8, 1930 Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF I OWEN W. BLANGHARD AND MAYBELLE' J. BLANHARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS BOWLING ALLEY Application filed January 8,1930. Serial No. 419,311.

Our invention relates generally to bowling alleys, and particularly to a portable, sectional bowling alley preferably smaller than the standard size of such devices and having certain features of construction. The object is to provide a bowling alley of the class described having all the features and Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional elevation of an alley section, near one end, as on line 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through the ball receiving pit and part of the adjacent alley section, as on line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. l is a perspective view of one of the devices used in pairs to connect abutting parts of the bowling alley sections.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail side view of the connected parts of two alley sections, said view being as between the arrows 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by referencenumerals, the alley proper comprises a number of alined like sections 10 and at the head of which is the pit section 10P. Each alley section comprises two parallel main beams solid piece which constitutes the ball rolling floor, said board being suitably fixed to the beams 1l12 and between the upright part of the opposite grooves of bearhs 11.

The opposite ends of each alley section must be out exactly square to properly aline the sections when assembling the device for use. p

Near each end of each alley section is provided a cross truss 14, and 15represents one or more intermediate cross trusses, all longer than the width of thefloor describedand suitably connected with the longitudinal members 1112, the opposite ends of said cross-trusses extending equi-distant from both sides of the floor but on a lower level on which is fixed the floor board 15 of aballreturn gutter. 16 are side boards fixed to the outer edges of said boards and the truss ends, extending above floor 15 in parallel relation to the adjacent outer side. of beam 11 between which parts the balls are rolled on floor 15v back to the players from the pit section 1UP. j

j Near each of the four corners of each alley section we provide an L-shaped metal bracket 17 fixed on the outer side of members 15 and threaded hole to receive an adjusting screw 18, the lower end of which is rotatably fixed t in a downwardly opening so-called' vacuum cup 19 which contacts with the floor 20.

It will now be readily seen that with the alley sections first properly alined they are held rigidly in said position by the gripping action of the vacuum cups 19 and by adjusting of the screws 18 the sections may be quickly set in a common horizontal plane throughout the entire length of'the alley. By'the means just described it is obvious that the alley is readily and quickly put together and adjusted to proper level, a particularly desirable feature being that the fioor surface or ball rolling surface of the device is quite near the floor level and permits playing bowling games under conditions approxiinto the yoke, the latter member being swingable in a horizontal plane. insenti-blei-crosswiseof the alley throughslits provided in the side members 16 and adjacent to the side of a truss 14 furthest-from the end of the alley section, the bar when in operative 1 position protruding 'from"b'oth sidesof the alley. The bar of the-adjacent alley section is likewise inserted but from theopposite side so there will be a yoke 23 enteriorly of each side of the alley for each ,pair of bars.

The said yokes are swung on their axis to straddle the adjacent projecting bar, being bothgat this time parallel to the side of the alley and the abutting edges of the alley between said pair of bars is held closely tolgether by simply adjusting the screws 24' inflwardly, thus drawing the bars 21 toward each other. Said bars are preferablyof hat 7 bar stock and may be tapered toward {their gends at their sides contacting with the trusses "ting parts.

-14 sothat the clamping action is eliective mainly at the central part of the trusses and equalizing the clamping pressure of theabut- Our improved alley comprises further as stated a ball-pit P withside walls 25 and a rear wall 26 in U-shape formation, the walls 25 being in alinement with theside members 16 0? the main alley. Between the front .parts of said side walls is fixed a floor 13A adapted tojbe alined with the adjacent alley sectionl3 andatthe sides maybe ball-returngutters A corresponding to the (gut: Ute rs o'f-themaina lley This floor v13Ais com- ,paratively'short and may have the usual insetting marks 27 in prop'er' position.

-said flooris supported by a truss 14 near its Yfront edge and which is clamped toward the .tru'ss114 of the adjacent alley section in the .same manner andby the same means above adescribed for clamping the alley sections .to-' fgether, the pit section being also further supported. by, the adjustable means above described.

vacuum-cup 285s .affloor in the bottom part of the pit iframe {on which the bowling balls 29 come I to a stop until picke'd upfand returnedto-the playeratthe'opposite end of the device. "The J; bowling-spins (not shown) are prevented :"frtinfflying about promiscuous'ly by the side walls'25 and rear walls 26 and fallin'g be Each bar 21 is tween same are readily reached and picked up to be reset in their proper places.

30 is a transverse rod resting in notches 31 or equivalent means in the upper edge parts of the side walls of the pit and near the rear wall 26, 32 is a curtain of strong woven fabric (preferred) suspended from said bar in a plane parallel to the rear wall 26 and forward of it, the lower part of said curtain being weighted as with a heavy metal bar 33 normally just above the floor 28. The center part of this curtain is exposed to directco'ntac't with the bowling 'b alls rolling into the pit usually with considerable mo mentum, the curtain-yieldingrearwardly and noiselessly when struck by a ball as indi 'cate'dailn dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The features of our improved bowling alle'y have now been fully disclosed. A number of modificationsmay be embodied without departing from the scope olithe inven- 'tion. As'far as we are aware t'he' bow-ling floor 13 whether-of singlefthic'knessior jlaminated pressed material such as fibre, isbelieved to be new. An advantage is that this ffioor can readily be removed andirep'l'aced at less expense U than resurfacing, planing and polishing or, otherwise 'finishing the structed. Another 'leature fde'siredto; be

stressed is the solidmountingon a floor with means such that the bowling surface is on on the lowest possible level near theffl'oor, all the means "for rmounti ng and adjustment, clamping, etcl, being accessible at "the-sides and exteriorly of the alleyandpi't sections,

"The setting o fthebowling surface nearthe to one of the track sections'geaehsaid track section comprisingan elongatedquadrangu- "lar frame comprising parallel bowling 'floor supporting beams,:g'utter -members 'ou't wardl-y of the out er floor beams, transverse truss U membersconnected to and supporting the said floor beams and gutter members, two of said trussesof each section in fixed. transverse positionyoneanear each floor end of. the section, removable parallel-bar means -engag-' ing two of said trusses and projecting outwardlyffrom opposite sidesof the alley at the abutting ends of the track sections and -ad- .j ustable towardeachfother to clamp the transverse parts or the ab'uttingpar'ts toward each. other and further means secured on the exlbowling surfaces of alloys ashi'th'erto' con- 7 terior side parts of all the sections for adjusting vertically the connected alley sections with their floor surfaces to a desired common plane.

2. The structure specified in claim 1 in which said pit section comprises a box-like structure with walls arranged in U-shape and opening toward the first alley section, a fixed short floor section in'the open forward part of said pit and adapted to be adjusted to a common level with the other floor sections, a lower floor in said pit section rearwardly of said .short floor, a transversely arranged curtain provided with an upper rod, and suspended removably in said pit by said rod, a weight rod in the lower part of the said curtain, the area of said curtain between its sus pension rod and the weight being arranged in the path of bowling balls as shown and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a bowling alley comprising a number of detachably connected track sections and a ball receiving pit section likewise securable to one of the track sections; each said track section comprising an elongated quadrangular frame comprising parallel bowling floor supporting beams, gutter members outwardly of the outer bowling floor beams, transverse truss members connected to and supporting the said floor beams and gutter members, two of said trusses of each section in fixed transverse position, one near each floor end of the section, removable parallel bar means engaging two of said trusses at the abutting ends of the track sections and adjustable exteriorly of the alley sides to clamp the transverse parts of the abutting parts toward each other and further means secured on the exterior parts of all the sections for adjusting vertically the connected alley sections with their floor surfaces to a desired common plane, said floor of all the alined bowling alley sections comprising for each section a single board of laminated fibrous pressed board, the top layer of said board comprising material of comparatively harder surface than the other layers.

4. The structure specified in claim 1 in which said means for clamping the abutting alley sections together comprises a pair of transversely arranged bars removably insertible through the alley sections to protrude from both sides thereof, each bar to bear against an inner face of one of the transverse trusses near the said abutting end, a yoke pivotally mounted on an outer end of each said bar and adapted to be swung in a plane to straddle the protruding end of the other bar of the pair, an adjustment screw in the outer end of each yoke adapted to be adjusted inwardly to engage the last described protruding bar end to clamp the two bars toward each other and press the abutting alley section ends frictionally and rigidly together.

5. The structure specified in claim 1 in which said vertical adjustment means comprlse a number of L-shaped brackets fixed with their vertical arms to. the exterior of the alley sections, vertical adjustment screws threaded into and extending downwardly below the horizontal arms of said brackets,

downwardly opening flexible vacuum cup 7 In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures. I

OWEN l/V. BLANCHARD. MAYBELLE J. BLANCHARD. 

